Electric-lighting device



Oct. 29, 1929. E. c WHITE ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 6 FIG.

IN V EN TOR.

Oct; 29, 1929. c. WHITE ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 14 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG I 1 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES ERNEST CANTELO WHITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO B. FENTON PATENT OFFICE FISHER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC-LIGHTING DEVICE Application filed August 14, 1926. Serial No. 129,145.

My invention relates to the construction of electric lighting devices in which the light may be turned on or off by moving either the socket supporting member or the lamp shade with respect to the support on which the device rests or to which it is fastened.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a complete lighting device and shade which may be formed of moulded insulating material. Another object is to provide means for lighting the device by a relatively slight movement of the body of the device Without the necessity for finding a switch but ton, key or chain. A further object is to provide such a device which may be lighted and turned ofi'silen'tly. Another purpose is to provide a device for concentrating the light in one direction and shading it in all other directions. Additional objects are to provide a light and compact device of good quality which may be manufactured economically, to reduce the number of parts and to form all of the parts so that they maybe readily drawn from a mould.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is the front view of the complete device in its unlighted position; Fig. 2 is the front view of the device in lighted position; Fig. 3 is the cross section of the device on a line 3-3 in Fig. l with the light bulb and leading-in wires shown in side elevation; Fig. 4: is the cross section of the device on line 4 4 of Fig.

2 with the light bulb and leading-in wires shown in side elevation; Fig. 5 is a perspective sketch of the device in unlighted posi tion; Fig. 6 is a perspective sketch of the device in lighted position; Fig. 7 is the top View of the lower half body of the device; Fig. 8

is the cross section of the lower half body on the line 88 of Fig. 7 the socket body on the line 88" of Fig. 9 and the switch block on the line 8"8 of Fig. 12 assembled together;

Fig. 9 is the bottom view of the socket body;

7 Fig. 10 is the top View of the socket body Fig. 11 is the top view of the switch block with the contact members removed; Fig. 12 is thetop viewof the switch block with the contact members and leading-in wires in place; Fig.

13 is the side view of the switch block as shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is the cross section of the switch block on line 1 11 l of Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is the cross section of the socket body on the line 1515 of Fig. 9'and of the switch block on the line 1515 of Fig. 12 in assembled relation when the device is unlighted; 1

body 6 and of the screw-shell 26.

H In carrying out my invention according to the illustrated embodiment thereof I provide a lower half body 1 formed of opaque moulded insulating material with two threaded metallic inserts 2, 2 and formed with a rabbet 3, an upper half body l formed of opaque moulded insulating material and having the lower edge thereof 5 formed to fit into the rabbet 3, a socket body 6 formed of moulded insulating material andadapted to be fastened to'the inserts 2 with the screws '7, 7 and a switch block 8 formed of moulded insulating material and adapted to fit loosely in the opening 10 the bottom of the lower half body and having two circular lugs 9 with a common axis rotatively positioned in the grooves 11 and held therein by the grooves 12, 12 of the lugs 13, 13 of the socket body so that when the parts are assembled the grooves 11 and 12 combine to form bearings rotatively positioning the lugs 9. Thus the switch block may be oscillated with respect tothe other parts about the axis of the lugs 9. I

The switch block is moulded with two threaded metallic inserts 14:, 14 located in.

grooves 15, 15 adapted to receive spring bronze contact members 16, 16 which may be riveted to the inserts 14, 14. Binding screws 17, 17 screw into the inserts 14,14 and receive the ends of the conductors 18 which lie in the groove 19 and are held in position by a wire staple 20 which is inserted through the holes 21, 21 and the ends bent over as shown in Fig. 17. The switch block has a moulded boss located between the two binding screws and close enough thereto to preventthe conductors from passing between the side of the boss and the heads of the binding screws.

The switch block is also provided with holes 23 so that it maybe fastened in position if desired by the screws 24. It will be understood that the switch block or any modification thereof may beadapted to be fixed in position although the present embodiment of my invention will be further described as a portable device.

The socket body 6 provided with a cylindrical portion 25 adapted to receive an ordinary lamp socket screw shell 26 which is held in place by the metallic r vets 2K and 27, the rivet 27"also passing through and bearing against the contact'inember 28 on the hottoin of the socket body forming an electrical connection between the screw-shell and the said contact member. Another contact member 29hon the bottom of the socket body iscoiinected by a center rivet 80 to a center contact' 31 of the lamp socket. Contactinembers 28 and 29 are provided with jc ounter sunk holes 32 and these members are placed in the mould before the socket body moulded so that the moulded material flows ieto th pe ngs 2 a orms a head integral with the moulding which retains the contact members against the socket body. The horizontal spacing of the inclined ends 33 of the contact members is substantially the same as the spacing of the spring contacts :16 so that the contact members 28 and 29 may be brought to bear against the spring contacts 16, 16. A complete electrical connection is then formedbetween the leadingin wires and the screw-shell and center contact respectively of the lamp socket. The parts are so proportioned that in the norrn'al position of the device as shown in Figs. 1, and 5 the relation of the socket body to theswi tch block is that illustrated in F 15 which it will be seen that the spring contacts 16 are not in contact with the ends when the device is tilted forward as how in s 2 aad 6 h Socket ody is turned forward about the axis of the lugs unt l h d 3. f t e e-st m mb r s the. ri s tec 1. d w into the s ve llu a ed n is- 6 in' i positionboth contacts of thela np socket are c nne ed, Holes 41, ll are provided to slip thescrews 7. v

The completedevice is assembled as fol lows: The switch block with attached parts as illustrated in llig. 12 is passed through the opening 10in the lower half body 1 and placed in position with the lugs 9 in the grooves 10. The relation of these two principal parts is then that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 8. The socket body 6 is then placed in position and fastened with the screws 7, the resulting assembly then being that illustrated in Fig. 8. The lamp bulb is then screwed into the socket and the upper half body 4 fitted onto the lower half body 1 resulting in the complete assembly as illustrated in Fig. 3. The contact members,spring contacts and binding screws are well protected from outside or accidental contacts by the inclosure formed by the parts 1, 6 and 8 The half bodiesl and 4 are formed to provide when assembled a substantially spherical shell with a circular opening Mon one side and two intersecting flat surfaces 35 ant 36 on the bottom of the lower half body. The intersection of these fiat surfaces forms a corner at the point 3 adjacent to the axis of the lugs 9. As the lugs '9 fit loosely in their bearings the complete device in its normal position actually rests on the flat surface 36 and when tilted forward it turns about the corner 37 until it rests .on the other fiat surface If the corner 37 were rigidly fixed in position this would move the axis of the lugs 53 (and therefore the entire switch block) very slightly forward due to the disa tance between the said axis and the corner 37 but the effect of this is negligible in prac tice. lit will be seen in Figs- 3 and 8 that the front end of the switch block extends forward a material distance in front of the corner This makes itinipossible for the device to be tilted forward without affecting the desired relative motion between the switch block and the main parts because if there is no such relative motion the device when tilted forward rests upon the front corner 38 of the switch block and the weight of the rest of the device immediately causes the switch block to turn about the axis of the lugs 9 until it reaches the position illustrated in Fig. l. The grooves 11 and 12 are so positioned with relation to the other points of contact between the parts 1 and 6 respectively, that the tightness of the bears ings for the lugs 9 may be adjusted by tighten ng or loosening the screws 7. If these are tightened to a degree which makesthe weight of the device itself insufiicient to cause the switch block to turn about the axis of the lugs 9 as above described, it is only necessary to press down slightly on top of the device when tilting it in order to obtain the results described. The center of gravity of the combined parts 1, 4t and 6 and the lamp bulb when assembled is back of the corner 37 and the axis of the lugs 9 in normal position and in front of these points when the device is tilted forward into lighted position. Therefore the bearings for the lugs 9 are loose the weight of these parts maintains the device in whichever positon it is placed, but if it is desired to have these positions more firmly maintained by using a certain amount of friction in the bearings for the lugs 9 it is only necessary to tighten the screws 7 and press down on the device when operating it as already described.

The lower edge of the upper half body 4 is formed to fit snugly into the rabbet 3 of the lower hall body 1 and is prevented from rotating therein by the shoulders 39, 39. When the upper hall body 4 is first moulded the corners i() are sprung apart slightly and are held in that position until the material is finally set. The preferred moulded insulating material has considerable resilience in the form here used so that the corners to of the upper half body 4 are pressed together slightly when assembled with the lower half body 1 and exert enough pressure against the side of the rabbet 3 to support the weight of the devicewithout relative displacement of the two half bodies when the device is picked up by the upper part 4.

It will be seen from the above de cription that this is a very useful lighting device and comfortable to handle. \Vhen used on a writ ing desk it is so low that tilting it forward into lighted position shades the lamp from the eyes of a person writing. As a bedside lamp it may be used to direct light in any needed direction, leaving the rest oi the room completely unlighted except by reflection,

from the external objects on which the light may fall. It may be easily found in the dark without upsetting it and may be turned on or off without noise or the delay necessary to find a switch button. I

As many changes could be made in the above described construction and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descripion or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An electric lighting device comprising a socket body selectively movable into a plurality of positions and adapted to be" main tained by gravity in any position to which it may be moved, contact means associated with said socket body for turning the light on and oil, and said contact means being operable by moving the socket body from one position to another.

2. An electric lighting device comprising a socket body and an attached light shade selectively movable into two positions in one of which the light is on and in the other of which the light is oil and which is adapted to be maintained by gravity in either of said positions to which it has been moved, contact means for turning the light on and ofi,

and said latter means being operable by moving the device from one position to another. I

3. An electric lighting device comprising a stationary base, a lamp supporting socket memberiulcrumed on said base so as to be selectively movable to two positions, the relation of said lamp supporting socket member to said base being such that relatively slight movement of the former relative to the latter shifts its center of gravity to one side or the other of the axis of its fulcrum whereby. gravity maintains the same in desired selected position, and contact means for turning the light on and 01f, said latter means being operable by moving the device from oneiposition to another.

4. An electric lighting device comprising a stationary base, a lamp supporting socket member having lugs fulcrumed on said base so as to be selectively movable to two positions, the relation of said lamp supporting socket member to said base being such that movement of the former relative to the latter shifts its center of gravity to one side or the other of the axis of its fulcrum whereby gravity maintains the same in desired selected position, cooperating circuit make and movement of said supporting socket member to the other position.

5. A portable electric lighting devicecomprising a hollow opaque sphere, a lamp socket positioned within the sphere so as to accommodate an electric lamp, an opening in the side of the sphere, means for maintaining the sphere in two alternate positions with respect to the plane on which it rests, means for turning the electric lamp on or off, the last mentioned means being operable by moving the device from one of the said alternate positions to the other. I

6. An electric lighting device including a lamp socket, a socket carrying member, a lamp shade having a light emitting opening secured to said socket carrying member, a base for pivotally supporting the socket carrying member and said shade on a horizontal axis, the socket carrying member being movable about its pivotal axis for disposition in selected position, means on said base to stop said socket carrying member in its respective selective position, and means for turning the lamp socket on and off, said last named means being controlled by moving the socket carrying member and shade from one position to another and vice versa.-

7. An electric lighting device including manually operated switching means for turning the light on and off, gravity controlled means for maintaining the light in either on or ofi condition and a lainp :shade substantially "surrounding the light and forming part of the said gravity controlled means.

8. An electric lighting device including a lamp socket, manually operated switching means for turning the light on and off and gravity controlled means including a lamp shade for maintaining the light in "either condition, the lamp 's'oc'ket being carried by the gravity controlled means.

Signed at New York, Y., :on this 18th day of August, 1926. I V

ERNEST CANTELO WHITE. 

